When Cape Verde debuted at the FIFA World Cup, the small island nation with just over half a million residents quickly became known as the dark horse of the tournament.

During the competition, a Xinhua News Agency reporter presented a special gift to Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha's mother, a commemorative badge bearing the emblem of Sanya.

The friendship between Sanya, on the south coast of China’s Hainan Province, and Sal, an island in the Cape Verde archipelago, dates to 2009, when Sanya was expanding its network of international sister cities.With the help of the Chinese Embassy in Cape Verde, the two coastal cities, both known for their clear skies and clean waters, established a sister-city relationship despite being thousands of miles apart. The official agreement was signed in October 2009.

In 2010, after learning of Sal’s need for help in building a running track for its sports center, Sanya allocated special funds to assist with the project.The newly completed running track at the Sal Sports Center, together with a friendship monument engraved with the names of both cities, has become an enduring symbol of the friendship between the two sides. 

The commemorative gift presented by Cape Verde to the city of Sanya. (Photo: Sanya Daily)

In 2012, the synthetic running track at the Sal Sports Center and the friendship monument were officially completed and opened to the public. The project not only filled the gap in professional-standard athletics facilities on the island but also established a crucial venue for public exercise, school sports, and local sporting events.  

The friendship between the two cities is built not only on infrastructure projects but also on people-to-people exchanges. Since 2012, Hainan Tropical Ocean University has admitted students from Cape Verde. In 2015, Helder left his hometown to study software engineering at the university. While in Sanya, he observed the city’s rapid growth and growing openness to the outside world, which strengthened his resolve to build his future there.

Sanya donates medical equipment to the city of Sal, Cape Verde. (Photo: Sanya Daily)

Cape Verde’s first National Renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine Expert Studio is officially inaugurated.(Photo: Sanya Daily)

In September 2025, a Sanya delegation visited the Regional Hospital of Sal to facilitate medical exchange and cooperation, introducing Chinese medical expertise to the Atlantic island nation.During this visit, Cape Verde’s inaugural National Renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine Expert Studio was officially opened, and unique TCM therapies, such as the Nanhai Divine Acupuncture Technique, were showcased at the hospital.